 Literacy Narrative I remember feeling the purest and warmest form of excitement when my high school English teacher would welcome the class in with the phrase "Free Write" on the white board. To me, this was a familiar invitation to write about anything I wanted, where the options were endless. Perhaps this is where my love of writing began. The classroom which supported and encouraged my creativity was one that taught me to love the work I created. My current attitude towards writing is a positive one- that is if it's writing about something I am intrigued by. Leave the reports, textbook analyses, and structure to the side and give me the good stuff. This occasional freedom in the classroom is what I believe to be the source of my healthy and heartening relationship with reading and writing, however mostly writing. Those days in the classroom, having come from a day filled with held tongues and handfuls of almost's, were what kept me going. The ability to be free and say what mattered to me, say what I wanted to say, this is what gave and gives my life meaning. Something that supported my appetite for these "free write" days was that we weren't being graded on these papers. Without the pressure to follow a predetermined structure, follow certain guidelines, and strive to write in a way that pleased the teacher, I was able to let loose and just freaking write. When met with the confinement of such pressures in later years, I felt that I was being held back and constricted in a space too small to withstand my endlessly imaginative and abundant writing. Writing is what takes me to a place where the world is an oasis, just waiting to be filled with stories and impossible's. I can take the ideas from my imagination and put them onto paper, to make them come alive. They become reality in the form of literature. Writing also enables me to make my stance and point of view clear and heard. It isn't always easy to communicate what's going on upstairs through speaking, so the ability to write liberates my words. https://www.gwhatchet.com/2018/03/22/students-need-more-freedom-to-choose-assignment-topics/ Propaganda Piece   I chose to create this propaganda poster to advocate for recycling and treating the Earth right. I phrased it as "reusing & recycling is cool" because there is an inherent appeal to being deemed as "cool". So why not make being proactive and helpful to the Earth cool? When we are are going through our daily motions of tossing out garbage and picking the easiest option when shopping, we often forget to take a moment and decide whether our actions are helping or hindering the environment around us. Sometimes, we need some gentle reminders and ideas of fun ways to recycle. That is why I have made this poster, which can be used to be printed and posted around the house or work place, or even just in public. By putting an edgy spin on your regular recycling sign and saying "reusing and recycling is cool", I have made the topic more welcoming and inviting to a larger audience. Younger people will connect with it through the trend to "be cool" and older folks might get a kick out of the new fun language. By providing simple and fun colored images of ways to recycle and reuse, I have made it easier and more accessible for the audience to actually carry out those ideas. By providing visuals, the reader or audience can better make change because they've been provided with clear examples on how to do so. Sources: canva.com https://blog.cuyahogarecycles.org/top-5-ways-reuse-recycle-home/ Rhetorical Analysis Project : The Way Way Back-a 2013 film The Way, Way back is a film about an awkward teen, Duncan, who spends the summer finding who he is in the presence of a toxic stepfather, a mysterious girl next door, and a plethora of other characters who contribute to the boy's journey of finding how his life is meant to be. The movie is mostly directed at teens who perhaps feel a little out of place and is intended to make them feel like they’re not alone. The overall message that the directors, Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, aim to convey is that even when the going gets tough, you have got to keep your head and your confidence up and you'll eventually find your path. Rash and Faxon share this concept through a sort of series of events style of plot. Specifically, they show the growth of Duncan’s expression, confidence, self-prioritization, and even posture throughout the movie to achieve the idea that the going does get better when you have your head held high. When the audience meets Duncan, they are not privy to anything close to resembling a smile for a solid portion of the movie. Once the “family” consisting of Duncan, his mom, her boyfriend Trent, and Trent’s uptight daughter arrive to Trent's beach house at the beginning of summer, we get to know Duncan as the kid whose days are spent tagging along with the adults. He generally doesn’t speak up and feels uncomfortable when spoken to. The directors’ use of this repetitive behavior in the first half of the movie is what makes seeing Duncan crack a smile for the first time so meaningful and authentic. This switch in behavior ties into the theme of growth when amongst obstacles. After being harassed by his narcissistic father on multiple occasions, Duncan finds relief at a nearby waterpark where he meets the man that will eventually become his source of guidance. It is this guidance and relief provided by the owner of the waterpark, Owen, that sparks Duncan’s first signs of happiness. Owen makes Duncan feel normal and like an equal through sarcasm, in talking to him like a friend, and inclusion, by getting him a job at the waterpark. As an audience, we get to watch Duncan become a generally happier kid and through these simple, yet powerful moments the message is strengthened. Through guidance, Duncan is given the tools to keep his head up and face his obstacles in a more positive and productive way.  Rash and Faxon also convey their message through the growth of Duncan’s confidence in the form of shared sarcasm, a little attitude, and standing up to the toxic people and events in his life-all things notoriously out of Duncan’s comfort zone. We get to see how the more confident he becomes, the clearer his path and life become in return. The beginning of this particular journey starts with him standing up to Trent after they had both been out all night. When they both arrive home, Trent asks Duncan to respond to him when he talks to him, to which Duncan replies with “welcome home”. After being around Owen and the other employees at the waterpark, Duncan has gained some confidence in himself and uses it here against Trent, which furthers the idea of empowering confidence. We see this growth again in a short clip of Duncan enjoying his breakfast while Trent’s teenage daughter stares at him, obviously not used to seeing him so content. Duncan replies with a wink and continues to eat his food, which is a powerful moment of character growth as he used to cower away from her when she would walk past him. Another memorable moment of this newfound confidence is when Duncan is able to have a normal, friendly, and sarcastic conversation with Owen and another employee while Duncan is in the middle of talking to his mysterious and attractive neighbor, Susanna. The employees tease him by announcing that Duncan’s talking to a girl on a megaphone for the park to hear and insisting on him coming over to them. Duncan walks over to them and gives a witty reply once they ask him why he’s talking to them instead of Susanna. As an audience, we get to see how proud and happy the employees are to finally receive some attitude and confidence from a boy who before then, almost entirely lacked it. As Duncan’s confidence grows, he gains more friends at the waterpark and even coins the nickname “pop-n-lock” which he receives from an earlier scene. He slowly but surely finds his path and his personality grows into who he’s meant to be-a funny, witty, and nice guy.
In order to illustrate the power of finding your own path, the directors also include a transformation of Duncan’s priorities and him learning to put himself first. In the first half of the movie, his mother and Trent are always encouraging and insisting that Duncan come along with them on family outings and doing things that don’t generally make Duncan happy. As Duncan becomes more confident, he learns to say no and finds things to do that make him happy, like go to the waterpark. One great scene that ties in this concept is when Duncan finds out he’s leaving the beach house before the end of summer and goes to say goodbye to Owen. He confides in him for the first time about his family issues and Owen says to him “You gotta go your own way. And you, my friend, are going your own way.” This scene is used to make full circle the message that the directors are trying to convey the whole movie. Keep your head up and go your own way, make your own path. By having one of the main characters say this near the end of the movie, it clarifies the theme and leaves the audience satisfied to hear the words that have been hinted at the past hour or so. One last smaller yet meaningful transition we see in the movie is Duncan’s posture. His character is introduced with a very shrunken and almost cowardly posture and as his confidence grows and he starts the journey of going is own way, his shoulders, and in turn his self-esteem, rise. The directors effectively convey their message by including this subtle transition throughout the movie, which highlights the growing confidence of a teen whose finding their way in life because of it. One considerable aspect of this film is its impact on society and culture through its ability to relate to a specific audience. It makes the stereotypically awkward teenager feel not alone. It makes them feel like they’re not the only one who feels anxious and goes through the things that Duncan goes through in this movie. The film has an impact on society in that it rings true and relatable to a lot of kids I think, considering the events of the movie like fidelity, family issues, and teen awkwardness are all things that a lot of people in this day and age can probably relate to. This film makes these people feel included, heard, and hopeful. Sources: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-way-way-back-2013 https://www.deseret.com/2013/7/18/20522708/the-way-way-back-shares-a-painful-but-worthwhile-journey#liam-james-as-duncan-and-nat-faxon-as-roddy-in-the-way-way-back Reflection After taking this class, I can honestly say I have learned a lot about rhetoric and have learned more about my personal relationship with writing. I have taken English classes in the past before this, but I have never dived into how rhetoric can be used outside of essays and poems. I also enjoyed being able to get to know myself more as a writer and find which ways of writing are most comfortable and fluent for me. After doing assignments like the global presentation and the rhetorical analysis project, I realized that rhetoric spans a far greater distance than just essays and writing like I thought. Rhetoric can be found in movies, art, movements, music, and even gestures. Rhetoric is what fuels movements and ideas and gives them meaning and fuel. Rhetoric is a powerful tool that can also be used for bad or good, like Hitler or Human Rights Activists. One should recognize its power and use it wisely for powerful rhetoric can have a lasting effect. Learning about rhetoric has also led me to think about the rhetoric I use in my day-to-day life. I have learned how powerful it is and how important it is then to be impeccable with my word. Rhetoric can be used for good or bad, like I said, so it is good to recognize how powerful my own word can be towards others. I am generally a pretty persuasive person (I’m Armenian so it’s in my blood), but it is important to know the effects of having that power. Rhetoric is best used for good and evoking kindness, awareness, and needed change. I have also really enjoyed getting familiar with my writing habits as I talked about earlier. The first assignment about ourselves really excited me because I didn’t have to analyze a piece or do research, I could simply write the way I write best in a casual, descriptive, and familiar tone. I noticed also how my writing changed when I was writing the rhetorical analysis on the movie I picked which was The Way Way Back. I changed my tone to a more formal one to better fit the audience of a rhetorical analysis on a movie. I also changed my tone to a more persuasive and emotional one in my environmental blog to get a better grip of the audience and trigger their emotions to further my cause. My favorite way of writing, however, is like I did in the blog about myself. Writing about the silly, small, large, and chaotic things in life in ways that bring them to life is my passion. I enjoy bringing words alive and off the paper to create a visual experience for the reader. Writing is my tool in my back pocket that liberates my words and ideas sitting in my mind. In conclusion, rhetoric is important because it the key that allows movements to start and evoke feelings in others. It is what allows for change in this world that is constantly calling for it. I would also like to personally thank my teacher, Ms. Melendez for making English and rhetoric a truly intriguing topic. She made every class interesting and always supported our writing and helped in any way she could to give feedback. She is what makes English and rhetoric meaningful and any student would be lucky to have her as a guide!
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